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Slip Coaches
This is the fourth episode of Stories of Sodor: Season 1. Adapted by Finn Tracy. Original written by Mark Huckerby and Nick Ostler. Plot It was the busiest time of the year on Sodor: the summer. Although it had just begun, a lot of visitors had already come. Holiday makers went to the beaches and other attractions. There were more trains than ever. The engines were busier than they had ever been before. Some trains even needed extra coaches added to their trains. "Oh my goodness," Toby said, as he puffed into a staion full of passangers. He had Henrietta behind him, and behind her were two brown express coaches. "There has to be something done!" Henrietta complained. She too, was full of passangers. "Bust my buffers," Thomas said has he puffed into Knapford Junction that evening, "I've never seen so many passangers in my life!" "I don't mind," James boasted has he puffed in, "Now there are even more people to admire my shiny red paint!" In this time of the year, the Fat Controller would often worry if he would get all the passangers to their destination on time, "All aboard!" he said, as he walked onto the platform, "Come on James! There's no time for dilly-dallying! We can't have any delays!" As a little girl walked forward, she was going to let the air out of her airbed. The airbed slipped out of her hands, and landed on the Fat Controller's head. "Oh my," he boomed. The passangers and the engines laughed. Then, the guard blew his whistle. "That's enough of that, thank you, Thomas and James," the Fat Controller ordered, "Now off you go!" "Yes sir," Thomas replied, as he puffed out of the staion. "Right sir," James added, as he puffed away too. That night, the engines had all returned to the sheds. "Eving all," Duck smiled, as he puffed in. "Hello Duck," Thomas replied, "How was your day?" "Very busy indeed!" Duck answered. "Mine was too," Edward complained, "It seems that we haven't even got time to stop at stations!" Then, an idea flew into Duck's funnel. "We need Slip Coaches!" he shouted. "Of course!" Oliver smiled, "That would help a lot!" "What are Slip Coaches?" Percy asked. "The summers on my old railway were always very busy," Duck explained, "But we had Slip Coaches. They could be uncoupled without even stopping! You just needed to know how fast you had to go, and they would stop right at the platform." "There were never any delays with Slip Coaches," Oliver smiled. "You had to be careful though," Duck warned, "If you would go too slow at stations, they would bump into the back off you! It took a lot of skill and expert timing." "Sounds easy to me," James boasted, "Silly old Great Western stories." "There are two ways of doing things, James," Duck replied, "The wrong way, or the Great Western way." Some later, almost all the engines were asleep. "You should tell the Fat Controller about the Slip Coaches tomorrow morning, Duck," Oliver whispered to his friend, "Maybe he'll bring some to Sodor, and you'll be allowed to pull them." Duck beamed. He hadn't pulled Slip Coaches in a long time, and it would be great to have them on Sodor. With that happy thought, Duck went to sleep. Some later, James was the only one awake. It's always Duck getting all the special trains, he thought, all because of that stupid Great Western railway. Then, he heard a familiar voice from outside. "Tomorrow it will be the busiest day ever on Sodor," the Fat Controller said to a workman, "I just don't know how to get everyone to their destinations on time..." When James heard what the Fat Controller said, it gave him an idea, "I know what would help deliver all the passangers on time, sir," James smiled, as he puffed out of the shed. "You do?" the Fat Controller said surprised. "Oh yes I do," James continued, "They're called Slip Coaches!" "Oh wow!" "Amazing!" "They're beautiful!" Duck opened his eyes. He heard the other engines say those things. They were all outside of the shed. He puffed out too. "My old Slip Coaches!" he suddenly shouted, as he saw the old Slip Coaches he used to work with standing just outside the shed. It were the same ones as Duck used to pull, "I don't believe it! Hello!" "Settle down please, engines," the Fat Controller ordered, "To avoid confusion and delay, I have brought some special Slip Coaches to Sodor! But, it wasn't my idea." Duck beamed from buffer to boiler when he heard this. He thought the Fat Controller meant him. "It was James'!" the Fat Controller continued. "That's right sir," James smiled, as he coupled on to the coaches, "Thanks to me, there will be no delays on Sodor today!" "Hurray for James!" a few engines shouted. "Quite right James," the Fat Controller laughed, "Now of you go! All of you!" James whistled, as he and the others pulled out of the shed. "I can't believe it!" Oliver said angrily, "He's just stealing your idea! You're supposed to pull them, Duck!" "Indeed..." Duck said sadly. He steamed away. "James will pay for this!" Oliver mumbled to himself. He was very angry. "Passangers, pay attention," the Fat Controller boomed, as he was at Tidmouth with James, "Make sure you get into the right coach; the one that's stopping at your station!" The passangers climbed into the Slip Coaches. They were all very impressed. "All aboard," James shouted, "I'll get you there on time, with my brand new Slip Coaches! Don't I look marvelous?" Just then, Oliver puffed into the station with his coaches, Isobel and Dulcie. "Disgraceful!" Oliver said, as he saw what happened. Then, he saw the Fat Controller. "Sir," Oliver said, as he puffed forward, but it was too late. James blew his whistle, and puffed away, with the Fat Controller on board. "Come on, quickly!" Oliver ordered as the passangers entered his coaches, "I need to catch up with James..." Some later, James raced over the mainline. He felt very pleased with himself. As he passed fields, children waved at him, and he whistled back. "I'm the most important engine of the railway," he said to himself, "And the best!" "Do you think James knows what he's doing?" the Slip Coach at the front asked the others. "I don't know..." the middle one replied. "I hope so," the last one added, "Otherwise this could lead into trouble..." "He seems a bit of a boastful engine," the first one commented. "He's not Great Western," the second coach suddenly said, "How did he know about us?" "Oh dear oh dear..." the last one sighed. A few minutes later, James approached his first stop; Knapford Junction. Duck just arrived with a few trucks full of coal. "Oh dear," he mumbled, "I guess the trouble starts here!" "Prepare to uncouple the rear coach!" James shouted happily. "Don't slow down too much in the station, James," Duck warned, "Or the last coach will bump into the back of you." "Yes, thank you Duck," James replied irritated, "I know what to do! Release the coach!" The guard on the last coach pulled the lever. The last coach was uncoupled from the rest of the train. But James liked everyone to see his shiny red paint, so he slowed down. "Hello everybody!" he called out, "Glad to be at service!" Suddenly, the last coach bumped into the train. The passangers that had already gotten up were thrown through the coach, and the food trolley bumped into a seat. A cake fell on the ground. "What's this, James?" the Fat Controller complained as he got out of the coach, "I thought you were an 'expert' at pulling Slip Coaches. "Yes sir, sorry sir!" James replied, "Now come along!" "No!" the Slip Coaches answered crossly, "You can't pull us at all!" "Maybe I could help, sir," Duck smiled as he puffed to the platform. The Slip Coaches were amazed to see their old friend again. "Hello Duck!" they smiled. "Do you know these Slip Coaches, Duck?" the Fat Controller asked. "Of course... he does..." Oliver said, out of breath, as he raced into the station, "James stole... the idea..." "What?' the Fat Controller said shocked, "James?" "Well..." James replied. He was surprised by all this. Suddenly, the Fat Controller onderstood. "Duck told him, sir, yesterday evening, sir," Oliver said, as he finally could speak. "Then Duck will be pulling the Slip Coaches. And James will pull Duck's coal trains!" And so, some later, Duck got coupled up infront of the Slip Coaches. "Thank you Oliver," he smiled, as he saw James pulling away with the coal. "No problem, Duck," Oliver eplied, "That stupid James!" The guard blew his whistle, and Duck was off. He loved pulling the Slip Coaches. Everybody waved and cheered. "You look amazing, Duck!" Henry smiled, as he puffed by. "You look grand!" Gordon added, as he raced passed with the express. Everytime they passed a station, Duck did it perfectly. Thanks to Duck, everyone reached their destinations on time. That evening, Duck returned to the shed. "Evening all," he smiled. He couldn't get his smile of his face. It had been a great day. "Three cheers for Duck and the Slip Coaches!" the Fat Controller boomed, "Hip hip hurray!" Everybody cheered, except James. He felt very silly. "It just goes to show there really are only two ways of doing things," Duck laughed, "The wrong way, or..." "The great western way!" Everybody else finished, and they all laughed. Characters *Thomas *Edward *Henry *Gordon *James *Percy *Toby *Duck *Donald and Douglas *Oliver *Henrietta *Slip Coaches *Sir Topham Hatt *Mavis (cameo) *Annie and Clarabel (cameo) *Isabel and Dulcie (cameo) *Rickety (cameo) *The Teacher (cameo) *The Piano Lady (cameo) *Alice (cameo) *The Photographer (cameo) Category:Episodes